Westport gives interim COA director permanent job

WESTPORT — Christine Quinn is the town's new, permanent and full-time Council on Aging director.

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By NED BRADY

southcoasttoday.com

By NED BRADY

Posted Jun. 25, 2013 at 12:01 AM

By NED BRADY
Posted Jun. 25, 2013 at 12:01 AM

» Social News

WESTPORT — Christine Quinn is the town's new, permanent and full-time Council on Aging director.

Quinn's appointment by the Board of Selectmen last week was unanimous; she has been filling the position on an interim basis since March 25. During that time, her work has been well-received, officials said.

"It's been a wonderful opportunity if this would fit for myself and the community" said Quinn at Monday's meeting. "Obviously, there's a great deal of potential here. I enjoyed it a great deal."

Quinn's resume includes more than 20 years of experience in senior care. In addition to her seven-year stint as Council on Aging director in Stoughton, she is a certified geriatric care manager, certified case manager and a licensed mental health counselor.

"We started with 31 candidates, narrowed it down to five and her name just kept coming up," said Council on Aging member William Gifford. "Obviously, she is very qualified for the job."

Quinn's hiring marks the end of a yearlong process to find a permanent successor to longtime COA Director Mary Ellen Gomes, who retired in early January. The council originally tried to fill the vacancy internally by offering the opening to principal clerk Jennifer Wagner, but she turned the job down, citing the unrealistic workload that filling both roles would bring.

This led to a lengthy search process that resulted in the Feb. 19 hiring of Tori-Ann Cormier. However, Cormier resigned the following day, citing the well-below average annual salary of $45,000 as her reason for declining the job.

The town voted unanimously at its Annual Town Meeting on May 7 to raise the COA director's salary from $45,000 to $55,000. This salary change will go into effect when the new fiscal year begins on July 1.

As for Quinn, she says she plans to "let the dust settle" and allow some stability to set in after all of the recent changes. However, she said she has plenty of ideas for the council moving forward.

"I'd like to implement some new programs" said Quinn. "I'd certainly like to get some outreach work done with some of the more frail elders.

"It's important to keep looking and planning ahead for the council. Those famous baby boomers are right around the corner."